While working away, managed to post some quick words:

• VoIP Tech Chat: Blackberry desperate? RIM announces FREE Blackberry Enterprise Server Express
• Team Forrest: SIP Response Codes (just for a quick reference)
• Fat Freddy Says: Updated Review for Nick’s Original House of Pancakes, Ann Arbor

Curb Appeal? Not so much.

Thanksgiving 2009 involved family, a road trip, and lots of yard work. Although Yeni and I made yet another trip to Florida, we sadly did not get the opportunity to visit all our friends and family “on the list.”

While traveling to sunny Fort Lauderdale, we took a pit-stop in Gainesville and checked out the house. The condition shocked us. It looked absolutely horrible and had what could only be described as negative curb appeal. We headed down to SoFla and knew we had to return and get down to business on some serious yardwork.

Borrowing a chainsaw from the old man, we quickly got to work on the thickest of foliage decorating the house. The chainsaw proved no match for the Gainesville Growth and we ended up with a Home Depot run for reinforcements. A lot of yard work and a good amount of pressure washing brought the house to a more presentable condition; but there’s still more work to be done. The pressure washer gave out and well, it’s time had come. It lasted for a better part of 10 years and I can’t really complain.

For your entertainment, please “enjoy” the before and after.

You can almost see the windows

It screams to turn around

Once, a porch was here.

look ma, windows!

I knew I saw a porch there once

As expected, I did not receive a response and there was no mention of donations, declines, or anything else from Bernie Machen.

Fast Forward to 2009

Today the Gainesville Sun reports that Bernie Machen is donating $285,000.00 to a scholarship he created for students. Yes, it’s a nice thing, but is it the best thing and/or too little too late? Why did we need a new scholarship? Couldn’t any of the already existing scholarships have benefited from this money? And again, thank you Mr. Machen for donating this money– and yes, that’s an amazing tax write off you’ll get– but what about all the other bonuses you have received? It’s nice to hold a big press conference for this, but honestly, I still think he needs to do a lot more.

Anyway, this last weekend I:

• Celebrated mom’s birthday with my family (including my sister and our spouses)
• Had an AMAZING meal at Joe’s Stone Crabs (but, when do you not?)
• Celebrated Mother’s day with the family
• Worked a little in Boca Raton, FL
• Enjoyed a nice afternoon on the beach with my wife.
• Read some hilarious comments on the Gandy Dancer review

I’m looking forward to the drive up on Wednesday… love those Mountains.

Norman Botsford, the current Police Chief of Gainesville, Florida, announced that he would be retiring from his position. Although the following Gainesville Sun article highlights his history, they don’t mention how in recent years he has helmed a department who’s morale has dropped faster than, well insert your metaphor here… it’s way low.

This is a good thing.

Here’s what the Gainesville Sun said:

The City Commission will discuss the decision at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium. There will be a presentation from City Manager Russ Blackburn about the decision.

There will be a nationwide search for a replacement, and Botsford will remain at the department until the search is completed. Blackburn said that transition period should take four months and will not go past November.

#Chief Botsford has been contemplating this issue, I think, for some time,# Blackburn said Thursday at a news conference. #It was his decision to submit his intent to retire, and to ensure that we have an orderly transition.#

Blackburn acknowledged recent issues at the department during his speech, but emphasized that Botsford retired of his own volition.

Last week the media reported about three officers within the Gainesville Police Department who, on three separate occasions while off-duty, drove through a high-crime area with the intent of harassing prostitutes and drug dealers.

#I am saddened, particularly our most recent incident, and I#m insulted to some degree by the actions of these individuals,# Blackburn said.

Botsford began his career in law enforcement in 1966 as a patrol officer with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. He spent almost 30 years climbing the ranks to become interim chief and then left for the Broward County Sheriff#s Office.

His next move took him to the college town of Columbia, Mo., where he was chief of police for three years.

#Chief Botsford has done some remarkable things in his career,# Blackburn said. #The Reichert House is really one of the best examples in the nation of how a city can be proactive in trying to address the issue of crime. He worked together with other law enforcement agencies, including the Alachua County Sheriff#s Office # in ways that are atypical for other departments.#

Blackburn emphasized that there would be a nationwide search for a new chief.

#Certainly we have a number of people in the department who will be interested in being police chief # I would encourage those people to apply,# Blackburn said.

Details will be forthcoming about how the search will be conducted and Blackburn said #it will certainly include opportunities for the public to be involved.#

Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, who had served for years with the police department, declined to comment on the announcement Thursday. Lt. Steve Maynard, a spokesman for the Sheriff#s Office, said his agency was prepared to assist with the transition of a new police administration in any capacity the police department requests.

Some higher-ranking GPD officers learned about the announcement at a meeting held shortly before the 12:30 press conference. The announcement also was being at a shift change this evening, according to some officers. But police also said rumors had been rampant for some time before reports that some officers had been involved in an egg-throwing incident that Botsford was planning to leave the agency in this fall. Talk had already started about in-house candidates for the job.

“Our job pretty much is almost not really impacted,” since Botsford will remain at the agency at least for several months, said Capt. Lonnie Scott. He said the agency must continue to “re-establish credibility and repair our image with the community.”

“We’re more focused on that than other items like the politics and other items we can’t control,” he said.

Staff writer Lise Fisher contributed to this report

Benjamin Franklin

I’ve always liked Mr. Franklin. Some think he’s the only non-president on money… but those people probably think Mr. Hamilton was once a president. Anyway, Benjamin Franklin is perhaps my favorite American in history. I love his quotes and many of his thoughts can guide us still today.

Today’s the following Benjamin Franklin quote comes to mind:

It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.

Which brings us to…

Ann Arbor Parking

Ok, although I’ve lived in Florida for the past 20 years (and love it), my family is traditionally northern in attitude and heritage. Often my love of Florida is mocked with southern jokes and generalizations. And if Florida somehow makes the news, my phone won’t stop ringing. I still get ribbed over Elian Gonzalez, the 2000 election, Terry Schiavo, and more.

But what does Florida have to do with Ann Arbor Parking? Two words: Sunshine Law. The Sunshine Law provides public access to government (no closed doors, let in the “Sunshine”) and Florida takes this very seriously. Besides criminal and civil penalties for violating the Sunshine Law, it has become such a part of Floridan culture that it’s hard to imagine not getting easy access to public information. After all, this is why the news loves Florida. If something happens in the Sunshine State, it happens in the Sunshine.

Enter the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. This publicly funded group receives their budget from taxes and parking fees. Oh, they also think I’m a security concern.

Yes, even though I have a very clean background (just ask the FBI), the A2DDA thinks I pose a security risk and have blocked my access to their website.

When I look at the list of things that my mom can be proud of, I think:

• Court expert on DUI and Marijuana
• Firearm “incident” in Gainesville
• and now, Security Risk to the Ann Arbor DDA

Thank you DDA for your hard work, and for bringing to mind this other Benjamin Franklin quote:

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid”

Which brings us to… (if you want to see more details on Fred vs. the DDA, click here)

Motorcycles

The weather in Ann Arbor warmed up enough to remove the ice and snow from the roads. And it’s been so long since I’ve seen a salt truck that Yeni and I decided to go for a quick ride on Saturday.

It was the first time I was able to ride since December and it took all the stress right from my face, replacing it with a smile.

http://www.voiptechchat.com/tech/245/university-of-florida-security-strikes-out/

I like ranting now and then

That little spec in the center is the duck. And in the bottom right corner is the one mom threw in.

So today (December 20th) marks the 2nd Anniversary of Forrest’s passing. Last year, I rode the Harley out to Cedar Key, Florida and threw a duck into the ocean.

Why a duck?

Well, when I graduated UF back in 2006 (Go Gators), my parents threw an open house graduation party for me. My mom decorated the house with an army of little foam ducks wearing a graduation cap.  Forrest loved them. He absolutely loved them and would quickly remove the head from the body, shake it around a little bit, find a new duck, lather, rinse, repeat. When we returned to Gainesville, I must have brought about 20 ducks with me and every now and then I’d leave one for him to seek and destroy.

After he passed away, I had a handful of them left, so on 12/20/2007 I rode out to Cedar Key on the bike (read the post) and had brought one of the ducks with me. I didn’t really have a plan; I was just pretty sad and seeing the ocean always makes me feel better.

When I got to Cedar Key, I had the duck in my hand and was just kind of squeezing it (like one of those stress relief balls). For no particular reason I reached back and hurled the duck as far as I could into the ocean… watching as the duck “swam” out to see. I don’t know why, but I loved it. And I said I’d do it every year I could.

Giants Stadium at AT&T Park

This year, I happened to be in San Francisco on 12/20, which of course wasn’t an issue — since the ocean is right there. I had brought a duck and coincidentally my mom also brought one out for me (there’s a long story there… but in 5 words or less, Great minds think alike). We went out to the Giants stadium and we launched the ducks into the Pacific.

And with that, I was reminded how much I still miss my dog.

Things of interest today:

• This mom from Gainesville has to get some sort of Mother of the Year award.
• Blogged to VoIP Tech Chat (was short and sweet)
• Helped move my cousin’s site to a new host
• Looking at switching to Verizon very, very soon.

And that’s the news that’s fit to print. Oh, I also changed the design of this site around a little.

No one truly knows the origin of Thanksgiving. Although we have been taught in school that the first Thanksgiving occurred in 1621 with the Pilgrims, the settlers of Saint Augustine celebrated a “Thanksgiving” more than 50 years earlier. Of course, those thanksgiving celebrations were more religious in nature. In fact, the Saint Augustine celebration featured a “Mass of Thanksgiving” offering thanks for safely arriving in Florida (aka the New World). And, much like the Florida Thanksgivings of today, the earliest one featured an enormous feast. But as usual, I digress.

Fred’s Thanksgiving tradition involves a pilgrimage (yes, it’s a pun — deal with it) to my parent’s house in Davie, Florida. In the last 20 years, I can only remember two Thanksgivings not spent in Davie. One was a road trip that David and I made to Pensacola (while my parents celebrated elsewhere) and the other I spent in Gainesville; not having enough seniority to skip the UF-FSU football game.

Thanksgiving at my parent’s house involves the three F’s — Family, Food, and Food. But wait, did I just say Food twice? Yes, and why? Because there’s that much Food. Mmmmm food. Anyway, Family from all over the country flock to Davie much like the Cliff Swallows to San Juan Capistrano, California. Although the numbers vary yearly (small celebrations have 12 people, large are well over 25), there are constants that never change. First, we will have brisket, turkey, stuffing, and more food than one person can eat in one sitting. Second, family will be there and will be welcomed. And, lastly, we remember why we have gathered together.

Much like Prince said in the eighties, we have gathered to celebrate this thing called life (yes, technically, he said gathered to “get through” this thing called life, but I’m taking liberty here). Anyway, no matter what the day brings, at the end of our trials, our family and friends remain to either share our joy or sorrow. They lend a shoulder for consolation or hug for congratulations. Our family provides the support we need to “get through this thing called life.”

Although I’ve said it before, I like to say it every year… I truly believe that family does not merely consist of shared blood or upbringing. Our friends are the family we choose. Let’s face it, I know I’m one of the lucky ones. I was lucky to be born into a family I truly love. A family I can count on when times are tough, and I family that can count on me to be there for them. But, I’ve also been able to add to my family great friends that have helped me grow (yes, I’m on a diet ) and well, let me say this:

Yes, I look forward each year for 2 days — my birthday and Thanksgiving. This year, my birthday witnessed the brutal killing of a dear friend; a person I considered family. And although it’s been just over a month since Ricardo’s death, I am thankful for the laughter we shared and to have been able to consider him not only a great friend, but also a part of family. He was the first to respond to my Thanksgiving messages (he kept odd hours) and always returned both kind words and a reminder that there is no Thanksgiving in Argentina. Sadly, this year, I’m afraid he’s right on that one.

The trials of life remind us that we live. This year, I am choosing to remember on Thanksgiving that even when family are taken from us, we must be thankful for the time we shared. I am thankful for many things. My health, my relationship, and of course my family. My family provides me the ability to smile, the tissues to wipe away tears, and the moral compass to always find my way.

So, my thanks are to you — yes… YOU. You are my family, and today, I give thanks to have you in my life.

Fred enjoying Dunkin' Donuts

Yeni and I started early — very early — Saturday morning. After loading the truck and topping off the tank, we hit I-94 somewhere around 4 am. It was BEYOND cold with the truck showing outside temperatures ranging from 10 – 15 degrees. Normally, I make as few stops as humanly possible; combing fuel stops with rest breaks (and yes, “rest breaks” means exactly what it sounds like). I learned quickly, that while traveling with someone else (aka Yeni) brings great joy, it also requires more frequent “rest breaks.”

Our first break was near Dayton, OH. Finding a Dunkin’ Donuts, we stopped for “rest,” coffee, and an egg bagel. Mmmm, egg bagel. After topping off the tank, we heading back on the highway hitting a major traffic jam in Cincinnati, OH. After staying in place for the better part of an hour, we were able to cross the bridge, enter Kentucky, and put Ohio behind us.

When we reached Lexington, KY, we got off the main road and visited a college friend of Yeni’s (Maria Fernanda and her husband Diego). After a nice visit and a great breakfast, we dropped Mafe at the Univeristy of Kentucky and continued south. I’d never been to the University, and it’s always nice to visit a place where the Gators have dominated (this year we destroyed Kentucky, but that was a home game).

My favorite part of driving to/from Michigan is the leg from Lexington, KY to Knoxville, TN. The trip takes you through the Cumberland Mountains (southeastern section of the Appalachian Mountains) and provides beautiful climbs, views, and scenery. Although best experienced riding on a Harley, the trip is still enjoyable from the truck.

Little Lil puts a smile on Fred's face

After reaching Knoxville, we called my good friend Patrick and met with him, his daughter, and wife (Jessi) at a local Italian restaurant. It was great to see their family and playing with lil’ Lil put a big smile on my face. After eating some pasta, rolls, and cannoli , we were back on the road — this time with Yeni at the wheel.

Chattanooga is only a few miles north of Georgia, and the drive through Georgia is long; very long. Did we mention construction? Georgia’s I-75 passage can be described in three words: Pecans, Outlets, Construction. Despite being on the road for more than 20 hours, Yeni was determined to drive through Georgia by herself. She made creative efforts to stay alert, such as talking to the GPS device, counting Juanes songs, and singing.

We reached Florida around 2am and I took over the wheel. When we arrived to the house in Gainesville, Yeni wisely suggested we inflate the bed, grab some shuteye, and rest for a few hours. We rested until around 7 am, loaded Grandma’s chandelier into the truck, grabbed breakfast at DD, and hit the road. Yeni had never seen Florida’s west coast or the Everglades, so I decided to take I-75 straight through to Fort Lauderdale.

Spider-bear at the Gulf of Mexico

When we reached Tampa, we took I-275 to visit the Tampa Bay and see the ocean. I-275 takes you over the Sunshine Skyway bridge (the world’s longest cable bridge) and the ocean view provides a great contrast to the snow we woke up to on the previous morning. Yeni seemed to enjoy the ocean, and Spider-bear was excited to play on the rocks (during one of the “rest” stops).

We continued driving (well, I drove while Yeni napped), and after crossing the Everglades reached the Casa de Parientes. I cannot wait for the rest of the family to arrive and celebrate my favorite holiday.

Yeni sleeps in the Everglades

Yeni has never been to the everglades, so we are taking the long way. Oh, in case Mami is reading we are bringing a little something.

Our day started at 3 AM in Ann Arbor, so a little rest will be nice. Yeni’s set on driving until she hits Florida so she can have driven all through Georgia.

It’s always nice to be in Gainesville after a big UF win. Go Gators.

Quote of the moment: “Georgia construction sucks. Literally. “– Yeni

So, this is November and tomorrow morning we may very well have a new President-elect. This year I voted for… oh yeah, I didn’t get to vote. What? Huh? Why?

Atypically, I will make this a short story.

I moved this year. I’m no longer a registered voter in Alachua County, Florida and instead am registered in Broward County, Florida. I knew I’d be in Michigan so I requested an absentee ballot and had them send it to me in Ann Arbor. Well, the US Postal Service decided that I should not vote this year. Instead of delivering the ballot to me, they delivered it to my neighbor.

My neighbor nicely (albeit somewhat tardily) came to the apartment and returned my ballot. Unfortunately, since it was Monday after 5pm, I was unable to send it for a Tuesday delivery as required by Florida law.

So, that’s how Fred didn’t get to vote in 2008. I feel saddened as I really wanted to vote for Sheriff Al Lamberti. I think he’s a good Sheriff and wanted to give him my vote. Anyway…

So, what am I most looking forward to on Wednesday after election day? Hopefully picking up my Harley from the shop. Oooooh… new pipes.

I chose option B; and then replaced the carpet in all bedrooms as well. Now all carpeting in the home match; which is nice. There’s a bunch of clean-up left, as well as touching up any wall that needs it. Actually, the touch-ups require a repaint since the color of the paint is slightly darker.

I’ve pressure washed most of the house and need to finish that up and maybe even give it another quick clean.

The goal is to rent a trailer on Thursday, load it up on Friday, and then head to Ann Arbor on Saturday.

Punk bands from the 80’s?

Spackle, Measuring Fee…

Things you bought at Home Depot

And we have a winner.

Home Depot has carpet marked significantly lower than my previous estimate. They are running a 199 whole home installation (plus 15 bucks to move furniture)… and promised to have it done before next Friday. I’m as optimistic as life allows.

Now it’s off to Larry’s Subs to join Mr. Armstrong in a late night meal.

Did I mention how into Twitter I am lately? Crazy.

So last night, Mr. Big Spider trespasses into the home and decides that contrary to Darwin, survival is not important. Only importance is to run quickly to Fred. Well, knowing what you know about Fred and spiders, the reaction was that Fred quickly left his chair and went for a book. But, alas, the move has left Fred bookless. With no immediate weapons available, I did start to panic. (Digression: Why switch from 3rd to 1st person? Why not, it’s a rant y’all) Anyways… oh yes… weapons. So, I thought the shotgun was overkill… but I actually had to think about it. In the meantime, Mr. Aggressive Spider (yes his first name was Aggressive) decided he’d run to my new location.

Well that was that. The fight or flight response kicks in — and let’s face it… fatty isn’t flighty. So needless to say, Crocs are not the best weapon against spiders. Their grooved sole allows the spider to do whatever ninja moves they know to avoid death. So, I switched to jump and smear. And thus, Mr. Aggressive Spider is no more. Yeni wasn’t happy the spider was killed (apparently they are good luck?) but I explained my beliefs… if a spider is outside, no problem. Inside? Penalty for trespass is death. But, I’m sure he left many children to revenge his death, so… there’s always that. But today, at least one small victory is mine.

Speaking of not winning, the carpet estimate yesterday was around $1700. And… at $1700 I’d have to remove the rest of the living room wood floor myself. Ugh. So, today I’m headed to the Home Depot to see what kind of specials they have.

The Kitchen was mostly a second coat. The lovely former real estate agent had her “handy man” paint the room, however they did at best what I’d call “half assed” work. Half-assed at best. So, I started painted and the realization of my painting skills became immediately apparent. I do not paint well. I do not paint well… at all.

Orlando and Linda came over and — BAM! It was like watching my parents paint. That there Orlando can sure paint him a room I tell you. Anyway, in no time the kitchen was done. My current plan is a room a day, and the kitchen was yesterday.

Tonight, Richard, Orlando, and Linda headed over and we tackled the bedroom. Well, Linda yelled at the TV during the debate and we tackled the painting. Prime, Paint, and actually looks good. After everyone left I finished up the trim and put all the face plates back on the walls.

Tomorrow… I paint Linda’s successfully spackled living room wall. Ooooh… and the carpet man should be by as well.

Apparently my built-in entertainment center was something that made the house un-sellable, and according to the realtor impossible for anyone to imagine their furniture in my house. So, Ms. Realtor and her hired handyman remove the entertainment center, leaving some big ol’ holes in the wall and about 40 sq. ft. of hole in the wood floor. They start painting over the kitchen, because apparently the house should be a uniform color.

So, after about 2 weeks of seeing concrete in my wood floor, I start to stress. And stress hard. I call her and explain that I don’t know how the house will be ready for the deadline of 3 days. She goes nuts and literally starts yelling at me. Long story short — she says she cannot work with a client that won’t give her unconditional trust. And then she’s goes buh bye. Never gives me back the key… nada.

So after changing the locks (nice unexpected cost), I go to look for wood floor. No one makes the matching parque… NO ONE. I called Armstrong / Hartco (the manufacturer) who informs me they have discontinued the product and have not had inventory for at least 5 years. YAY!!!!

So, I’m now looking for carpet pricing and finishing painting. Trying to smile… thinking basically of Little Nemo and trying to “just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”